Telephone dial attachment



Feb. 18,1947. L. COTTON 2,416,157

TELEPHONE DIAL ATTACHMENT Filed June 6, 1945 I 40c? C0770 M MM QM Patented Feb. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELEPHONE DIAL ATTACHMENT Lucy Cotton, Miami, Fla.

Application June 6, 1945, Serial No. 597,776

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to an attachment for telephones, and more particularly a dial telephone provided with a rotatable disc having holes therein for manipulating the dial.

In the use of an automatic type telephone the disc is usually rotated by inserting a finger in one of the holes of the dial corresponding to the symbol which is seen through one of the holes of the dial. The dial is then rotated until the dial is arrested by a fixed stop member. The visibility of the symbols is not always clear, and the telephone instrument is often arranged in positions where ordinary illumination is not sufficient to make the symbols or numbers easily discernible. The present invention provides the solution to this problem and avoids the necessity of employing artificial light even when the telephone is used at night.

An object of the invention is to provide an attachment for the dial of a telephone having luminous symbols thereon which may be readily observed in the dark, including a novel arrangement whereby the device may be readily attached to a conventional telephone instrument without removing or changing any of the parts thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment for the dialing mechanism of a telephone wherein the symbols associated with the dial may be more readily observed, including a structural arrangement for preventing rotation of the attachment relative to the telephone equipment.

Other objects and features of the invention will be more apparent as the disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended drawing wherein an exemplary embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a conventional type telephone with parts of the dial broken away and illustrating an attachment embodying the invention associated with the instrument partly in section.

Fig. 2 is an elevational View of the telephone dialing mechanism showing the attachment in section taken on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1,

Referring to the drawing, there is shown at ID the base of a telephone of a conventional dial type in present use. The base of the telephone is provided with a cushion I I on the bottom thereof which may be formed of felt or other materials to prevent scratching or marring of the surface on which the telephone instrument is supported. The base I6 carries a rotatable disc I2 of conventional construction and provided with a number of openings or holes for rotating the dial. The central portion of the dial I2 is provided with a number plate Id. The dialing mechanism includes an annular surface I6 arranged around a stationary collar I], and the surface I6 carries symbols which may be seen through the openings I8 in the dial or disc. A finger stop I9 extends from a fixed portion of the telephone instrument and overlies the dial l2 so as to arrest rotation of the dial. The stop member I9 may be fixed to a stationary part of the telephone instrument in any conventional manner and is preferably attached thereto by means of screws H. The elements of the telephone thus far described represent those of a conventional telephone instrument, and the attachment for facilitating the operation of the dial may be applied to such a telephone Without changing or altering any of the parts thereof.

' A device exhibiting the invention is adapted to be arranged around the collar l1 and cover the symbols arranged on the annular surface I6. The attachment includes two arcuate sections 26 and 21, as shown in Fig. 1. The section 26 comprises an arcuate shaped frame having an outer bead 28 and an inner arcuate bead'29. This frame is designed to support an arcuate shaped plate 3| carrying thereon the symbols corresponding in spacing and arrangement to those of a conventional telephone dial mechanism and which are normally on the annular surface I6, The curved arcuate shaped plate 3| may be formed of any suitable material, such as metal, Celluloid, or the like, having stamped or printed thereon the symbols for thetelephone dial in luminous material, such as phosphorescent paint or radiant salt combinations. The luminous material may be covered with a transparent sheet or layer to protect the symbols from contact with the finger, or other objects used in dialing. The lower arcuate shaped section 21 likewise includes inner and outer beads which are substantially U-shaped in cross section, and within which an arcuate symbol plate 32 may be supported. The inner and outer beads of the lower section 21 are connected by end portion 36 which lies along and is parallel to a similar end portion 38 of the upper section 26. The other ends of the arcuate sections 25 and 21 are joined by a small plate 39. This plate 39 may be secured to the adjacent ends of the arcuate sections by meansof screws;

as shown in Fig. 1.

J'ect from the sections Zland 26 on opposite sides of the stop member iii. The two parts of the socket member may be formed integral with the arms Ml and d5, or attached thereto in any suitable manner, such as by welding. The socket member is flared outwardly at the upper end, as shown in the drawing, and is provided with slots s? so as to increase the resiliency of the socket member. The instrument (ii for actuating the dial l2 may be introduced into the socket and resiliently held therein simply by moving the instrument downwardly into the outwardly flared upper ends. As shown in Fig. 2, the dialing key M may be provided at its dial penetrating end, with a dial engaging groove or slot 35 which preferably extends only part way around the periphery of the key ti. This slot t on insertion of key 4! in one of the operating holes of disc i2 especially one of such holes spaced more than 180 from the stop it, engages over the side edge of said hole throughout a part of the turning movement of the elements, thus preventing slipping of the keying device from the holes and reducing the necessity for re-dialing. As the dial is rotated, in the preferred manner of use, the .key 65 turns relative to the disc i2, and the groove 35, in the preferred form, disengages from the disc edge by the time the finger stop I9 is reached so that the key may be easily lifted from the finger opening. The dialing instrument M is also connected to the base of the telephone instrument by a flexible element, such as a chain 5!, so that the dialing instrument will not become completely separated from the telephone instrument. As shown in Fig. 3 the attachment is provided with a projection or loop at, shown secured to the socket member as below the flared part thereof, to which the chain 5! may be attached, or to which a pencil may be attached if two parts of the socket member. The arms and 46 also support the socket member adjacent the finger stop l9 so that the instrument M for actuating the dial i2 is supported in a convenient position with reference to the telephone dial.

It will be perceived that this invention provides an attachment made up of two sections hinged together by the flexible springable hinge member 53 to form a unitary hinged structure fulcruming about a point adjacent the finger stop l9, and that when the device is positioned on the telephone instrument and anchored by the securing means 39, this means is located inconthe chain is otherwise secured, as by one of the the finger, step i 9 may be introduced in the open- 7 ing provided between the arms (is and it and the dial attachment may be arranged around the collar ii. The finger stop as may then'be secured to the telephone instrument by inserting the screws 2 if it has been removed to facilitate the assembly or provide for attachment of chain 5!. The plate 39 may then be attached to hold the adjacent ends of the two sections 26 and 2'! together whereby the inner beads of the two sections fit snugly about the collar l'l, When the ends of the two sections are joined by the plate 35, the arms as and is areadjacent the extremities of the finger stop as and thus prevent rotation of the dial attachment relative to the supporting base it. The movement of the arcuate sections 26 and 21 towards each other is made possible by the flexibility of the plate 53 which may be welded or otherwise secured to the spicuous'ly under the rotatable disc where it is While the invention has been described with reference to specific structural details, it is to be understood that changes may be made therein by those skilled in the art. Such modifications and 7 changes in the materials employed in the dial attachment may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An attachment for rotary dial telephones of the type having finger holes and a finger stop for effecting predetermined rotations of the dial thereof, said attachment comprising a hinge member, means carried by said hinge member adapted in the closed position thereof to embrace said finger stop, means carried by those portions of said finger stop embracing means remote from said hinge member adapted in the closed position thereof to embrace a stationary part of the telephone underlying the dial, and means associated with the ends of said last named means most remote from said hinge member and positioned to underlie the rotatable dial portion of the telephone for holding said parts in the closed position thereof to, secure the attachment to the telephone.

2. An attachment for rotary dial telephones of the type having a finger rotated dial and a finger stop, said attachment comprising a hinge means, and elements located progressively further from the hinge means for embracing a dial operating instrument, the finger stop of the telephone and a structural part of the telephone underlying the rotary dial thereof, means positioned to underlie the dial of the telephone to secure said attachment thereto, said attachment embracing the dial operating instrument releasably.

3. An attachment for dial telephones of the type having a finger moved dial and a finger stop, said attachment comprising a hinge means, and elements carried by said hinge means for embracing a dial operating instrument and the finger stop of the dial, said attachment embracing the dial operating instrument releasably so that it may be removed therefrom for insertion in the finger moved dial to facilitate movement of the latter, said instrument embracing means comprising a resilient socket carried by said hinge means, and said dial operating instrument com- In Fig. 2 apply the reference 5 prising a removable keying member frictionally engaged in said socket, adapted on removal therefrom to enter the finger apertures of the finger moved dial, and provided with a flexible securing means for attaching it to the telephone as a part of the attachment assembly.

4. An attachment for dial telephones of the type having a finger moved dial and a finger stop, said attachment comprising a. hinge means, and elements carried by said hinge means for embracing a dial operating instrument and the finger stop of the dial, said attachment embracing the dial operating instrument releasably so that it may be removed therefrom for insertion in the finger moved dial to facilitate movement of the latter, said instrument embracing means comprising a socket carried by said hinge means, and said dial operating instrument comprising a removable keying member engaged in said socket 6 and adapted on removal therefrom to enter the finger apertures of said finger moved dial, and having a groove extending partway around its periphery adapted to hook in the finger apertures during a portion of the rotation of the dial.

LUCY COTTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Kirkmen June 2, 1942 

